Question

Soil pollutants affecting food chains and food webs by killing microorganisms are

• A. Chemical fertilizers
• B. Agriculture wastes
• C. Pesticides
• D. Pathogens
• E. $N{O}_x$

Answer 1

The correct option is C Pesticides

Pesticides besides killing the insects, pests, rodents which damage the crops are hazardous for the soil, vegetation, human and animals. These pesticides are lethal to invertebrates which eat crops, in natural habitat these invertebrates having pesticides in them are eaten by small birds infecting them with poison, which consequently eaten by a big bird and thus the infestation continues to the top of food chain. The dead organic containing the pesticides severely affect the microbes by disrupting their physiology. The absence of decomposition destroys the food chains and food web.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Pesticides'.